Driving mechanism for the ground-treading members of traction engines



AZQAQQ.

1. G..LEYNER, DECD.y

` L. m. LEYNER, ADMINISTRATRIX. DRIVING MECHANISIVI FOR TVHE GROUND TREADING MEMBERS 0F TRACTION' ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. Il, l920.

Patented Aug. L 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

1 I @II 1f. G. LEYNER, DECD. L. M. LEYNEH, ADMINISTRATRIX.

DRIVING MECHANISIVI FOR THE GROUND TREADING MEMBERS 0F TRACTION ENGINES.

APPLlcAlloN FILED N0v.1|, 192m 1,424,494, l Patented Aug. l, 1922.

3 SHEETS*SHEET 2.

INVENTOR mjy , ATTORNEY 1. G. LEYNEH, DECD. -L. M. LEYQER, ADMINISTRATRIX. DRIVING. IvIEcHANIsM EON IIIE GNouNn TREADING MEMBERS 0E INAcIIoN ENGINES.

APPLICATIN-*HLED NOV. Il, 1920. 1,425,494, Patented Aug. 1, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET-3.

- /NvENToR @M- ,I 35%@ www /cwg ATTORNEY voiries-tionen reruns., nnonesnn, or rrrrrnnroir, comi-tano, :er nina liii, tarima, ansriirrsfrnefrniir, or, nirriiisroir, concreto, assrsnoia 'ro rein iaaaeaa.

Specification eff Letters Eatent.

Patented Aug.

" eppiicaioa siesuovember ii, 192.0. serial No. 423,437.-

To zZ/Z 202mm 'it may concern:

Be it known that 'Jorrit 5cl-noires Lernen, deceased, late a citizen of the United of America, and resident of lhittletom county of Arapahoe, and State of Colorado, didL invent a new and useful ,Drivinglvlech-r-` anisrn for the Ground-Treading li/i'enibers ot Traction Engines, of which the following is specification.

The invention relates to improvements inv driving mechanism for the ground treadingk ineinbers ot' traction engines.

rind the objects of the invention are:

First: To provide a driving rneclianisni tor traction engines that Will rotativelyz drive the endless ground treading tracks, or the round traction Wheels of traction engines, over Fields, roads or hill sides in either forward or. backward, or in turning directions.

Second: To provide a driving nfiechanisni` for traction engines that is sti'ongly'1"`supported and enclosed in substantially dust proof housing casings.

Third: To provide a driving rnechzuiisinv tor traction engines that consists 'et fev! parts and is simple in-construction and that transmits and applies power directly to the endless ground treading traclzs operating rnenibers.

These objects are attained by the mecha'- nisin illustrated in the accompanying. drawings, in Which: f

Figure l is atransverse, sectional view through a tractor, showing the improved driving mechanism :tor operating the sprocket-carrying shaft which operates the endless traction chain. l f f F ig. 2 is a side view, partly in section, olf a inodilied forni ot the drivinginechanisrm and o F ig. 3 is a sectional view of Figure 2, on` the line 3-3.

Siniilar letters ot reference ,refer to siinilar parts .throughout the several views.

.Referring to the drawings:

The Figures l, 2 and 3, designate a driving mechanism for traction engines embodying the invention.

ln these views and also inall ofthe details Where it is shown, the numeral l ydesignates a vertically positioned power operated and power driven driving'shaft; the upper end ot thisy vertical shaft has-mounted onl and keyedl or otherwise secured toit, a sleeve 2, that is provided with a projecting vflange portion 3, the terminal end of Which is provided with a vertically extending flange e, and a laterally projecting annular flange 5, and to the lateral flange 5, is re-y inovably secured a Worin .gear 6, preferably 'by-bolts .7. The invention, however, conteniplates any` lnieans for securing this Worm gear tothe sleeve 2, or, it desired, directly to the vertical shaft.; as, if desired, the sleeve 2, can be dispensed With. ills used, it acts as 1a hub ineinber for the Worin gear to which ther riin and tooth portion of the Worin `gear is detachablysecured, in orderthat a Worn out Worni gear ringcanl be replaced by a new one Without .removing Ithewhub. or sleeve lnir-zr'nber12, from the shaft. I

rl`liis Worin gear @,rneshes with a Worinv pinion 8, that is keyed lor cotherwise secured is rotated by the 'engineorinoton Which is preferably a gasoline operated motor,` but may be' a steam operated engine orany other power developing and transmitting -niediu'inv that can be connected to this shaft 9to ro-f tetably driveA it. l

The upper terininal` endiot this vertical shaft is preferably journaled in rolling bear? ings, although any suitable forniL or lrind oi'ia journal Vbearing niaylbe used, as def' sired.y 'There is illustrated, however, a ball bearing l0, which consists ofv a raceway col# lar ll, that Ais secured tothe shatt`1", prelerably toa reduced portion 1A, of the shai'"1t.A This collar is provided. with a raceivay mein# ber l, in which a circumferential row of steel balls 1C is inountedvhichware held ina place by a y surrounding concentric `collar l2, in which there is also aracevvay into' which the balls lit. Thiscollar 12, is seated and secured -in a cup-shaped recess 13,

y annularr to a shaftv 9, that extends adjacent to and that is orined in the center of a: plate 14,

that forms the top of the housing members ot the driving mechanism.v

The outer ends oi'f this plate lll, cured tothe ends of a housingecasting l5, by bolts 16. This housing has a curved side portion on that side of it that encloses the arel se- Worin pinion, that is formed concentric With I it, and encases it at a short distance from it,-

'- while the opposite side of this housing` mein ber encloses the adjacentedge of the worm gear.,

This housing member l5, providediwith two lowerendjportions 17 and 18, that .ex

. tend downward from a horizontal portion` 19, ythat extends from the opposite sides of the lower endv of thehub,'and a plurality of tapering rollers25,t'hat arerotatably mount- 20 f this housing casting towards Lthe Vertical shaft and terminates in. a vertical hub vpor-v tion 20, that surrounds the shaft l, and also the sleeve '2, `and its lower end supports a #journal bearing in vwhich.thelofwer end of the shaft 1, is rotatably mounted. There is preferably illustrated a rolling bearing 22, in kthe lower end of'this hubQO, which is formed of the collar' 23, that is secured to the shaft, and a collar 21,1-, that .is secured in ed between these two collars.

Theextreme lower end portion of t-h'elver i tical shaft is provided v.with a bevel gear pinion *26, thatv is' keyed or otherwise secured to it. The end of the vshaft extends through the gear pinion and is threaded. A

thread locking .collar 27, `is illustrated on 4the bevel pinion 26, on

"internal "bore 36, that:` terminates shoulder-37, againstwvhich the outer `collar 31, lis turned, while it is fitted tightlyin the `boreti, of the hubs.

hubs ofthe castings 35, form abutments that l l thelower threaded endof the vertical .shaft belowv the bevel pinion'. The shaft also eX- "tendsthrough a ball .hearing at the upper end of the vertical shaft, far` enough to vbe threaded. and toreceivea thread vlocking col# lar 27A, which is turned down against the j upper end of they sleeve 11. lf desired, however, a 4nut-either withy ory without a` nut' 'locking device, 'maybe used. instead of the collars o'nthe opposite endsof the vertical shaft 1.

Centrally below theiverticalshaft l, isv

positioned a shaft 28,- whic'h is journaled in any Asuitable 1bearings'.- For the sake 'of4 illustration are indicated, however-,rolling bearings .29, which :are placed at a shortV distance from its opposite end portions,`and

at an equal distance from the vcenter ofits length. These'rolling bearings consist of a collar 30,A surrounding and. securedv to the shaft 2S, and a concentrically'.arranged and surrounding collar 31', `between which and The 'shoulders in the at right angles towards thel center of the length of the shaft, and they are prevented from moving towards the opposite 'ends' of the shaft by thread locking collars, that are threaded to a threaded portion 3S, that is formed onthe shaft at theouter end of the rollingbearing shaft collar'SO, 'and is arrangedsol that lthe thread locking collars are turn'edup against the shaft collarsof the rolling bearings.` This housing 35, is also providedwith any upwardly projecting hubr 39, that surrounds and fits the'lower 'portion` of the hub 20. Thisr hub portion is also vsurrounded by angleplates 4f), that surround and fit itclosely, and tha'tare provided with a top iiangeA portion el', that is secured' bythe kbolts'lQ, which also extendthrough a .plate 23, that is termed the crown plate, and'which i f housing platesvta and 45.` The'f-object -of these outside guard housing plates will'be These lbolts also eX-v forms the top member of the outside guard presently: described. tend'through ythe lower part e6, ofa circular channeled casting l?, that overlaps the adjacent endsvofA platform member- 48 (that is preferably provided withl side board `preventftlie' bearings-from moving inwardly i members 48A) that forms the `fined platform `of the rtraction engine. And these channel barsalso overlap' the innerends ofa thin plate 49,-that ext-ends out under an ,angled foot member 50,' that lis formed on and extends `down fromthe horizontal portion 19, of, the upper 'housing castingd,andi'this foot `member 50,- is also bolted by a. rivety bolt 5l, to plates 52, that. are secured to thev bottom of the'platform vby this rivet bolt 5l, whichv also passes 'through the platform 48,

and thus the plate 49,; the platform 118, and `the plates 52, are all secured together bythek rivet boltL 5l, tothefoot ange'), ofV the housing Vcasting 15; while the plates ,46, andthe crown plate- 43, and the flanged plates 49, are securely bolted andare-firmly secured to Vthe channeled casting 4t?. I The horizontal shaft :and its supporting"and' housing casting,v with its rolling bearings,` together with the :rownfplate "and out side guardfplates, are 4turm-:d or swu'ngin either direction underneath thestationary platforni of the traction engine through an arc of about thirty degrees by a steering mechanism which is not illustrated, as it ldoesnot form any part of the present 'in-` vention. f

The shaft 2S, is rotated in eitherdiiection by the/driving shaft 1, and its worm pinion los` 8, and the woringear G, which, being v st-)cured to the verticalshaft li, rotates the shaftQS. The oppositef'ends of the shaft Q8, may bef Aprovided,fif desired, with the -large round traction wheels with which some traction engines are provided, the rims ofi-which-y are provided with cogs orblo'cks;4 or it ymay l be vprovided witha "worm gear that is shaft 1A, to the horizontal shaft 28A.

this modification the vertical shaft is necesadapted to be driven by a worm pinion, as shown in the modification illustrated in Fig-v ures 2 and 3, or they may be provided with any other kind or character of rotary power .transmission elements. For driving the ltractor track 61 any usual orA preferred ,that is composed of a combined round portion 54, and a square portion and the hub 56, of the sprocket wheel is also pro vided with a combined round and square axial bearing 57, that is formed to ht the round and square bearing portions on the shaft. I

The ends of the shaft 28 are provided with locking means for preventing the accidental displacement of the sprocket wheels.

The locking device may comprise` a threaded portion on the opposite ends of the shaft and thread a nut 58, onto the ends of the shaft, that is provided with a split portion that is arranged to be locked tothe threads of the shaft by a screw 59. The invention, however, contemplates any means f securing the ground rolling wheels, when they are used, to the shaft; 0r the track driving Sprockets of any other endless track driving members that may be employed to drive the endless ground treading tracks of the traction engines from the shaft 28.

The hubs of the casting that surround the shaft 28,l have an open space 60, that is closed by a casting that is removably secured to the inner ends of these hubs. This casting A, can be removed at any time to get at the parts of the shafts and their surrounding mechanisms, and also to remove any dirt or oil or grease that may collect in the space around the shaft and in the adjacent inner ends of the hubs of this casting 35.

The sprocket wheels support and drive endless ground treading tracks 61, only a fragment of one of which is shown, as they no not form a part of the present invention. A complete view of the endless ground treading tracks that are adapted to be driven by the present driving mechanism for traction engines, can be seen in the Patent No. 1,254,819, issued January 29, 1918, for a traction engine, and in the pending application, Serial No. 374,723, filed April 17, 1920, for ground treading endless traction tracks and their supporting trucks.

ln Figures 2 and 3, is illustrated a modiiication of the elements that transmit the rotative motion and power from aA vertical In sarilyset and positioned to one side of the the longitudinal aXis of it, as in the preferred construction, and is vmade long enough to extend below the horizontalshaft, and has formed onits lower end portion a worm pinion 62, the operative center of `which isk positioned in the right angle, horizontal, or lateral plane ofthe lengthwise axial center of the shaft 28A, and on-the shaft 28A, is mounted and secured a wormvgear 63, that meshes operatively with the worm pinion 62, ofthe vertical shaft. f i c The worin piniony 68, is formed with a hub 64,v and pins 6.5, .extend through thefhub and through the shaft 28A, and thereby rigidly secure the pinion63, to the shaft 28A. The upper and lower ends of the shaft 1A, are

supported in suitable antifriction bearings.

66, which .are supported inarhousing 67, which encloses the gear-fand pinion, and the bearings 66, are-held in place by collars 68, which are threaded upon the shaft, as shown. rlhe upper `vend .ofthe shaftisy squared .as shown at 69,-and a vcoupler 70, fits thereon; and in the upper portion of this coupler is inserted the squared lower end 71, of a shaft 7-2,

upon which is keyed a beveledrfriction gear 7 3, which is driven by one or the other of apair of beveled friction pinions 74 and `75, which are rigidly secureduponl a Ahorizontal shaft 76, which is rotatably andqslidably mounted in bearings (not shown), supported upon the platform of the tractor, the shaft being shifted by a yoke-shaped lever 77, the vde pending ends of which are forked, and straddle pins 78, in opposite sides of a slidable but non-rotatable sleeve 79, which is slidably mounted in a fixed hub 80. 4rlhe outer ends of the sleeve 79, are provided with antifriction bearings 81, which support the shaft 76, wit-hin the said sleeve 79. rl/lhen the pinion 75, is in engagement with the gear 7 8, the machine moves forward, and

when the pinion 74, engages the said gear 78, the machine is reversed. The upper end of the shaft' 72, is mounted in an antifriction bearing 82, which is supported in a sleeve 83, which' extends through an opening in the hub 80, and also through a slot in the slidable sleeve 79, the sleeve 83, having a Hangs 84, which is secured to the said hub 80. The lower end portion of the shaft 7 2, above its squared portion 71, is supported in an antifriction bearing 85, which is supported in the stationary member 86, of a turn table, the other member 87, of said turn table being secured tothe deck or yplatform of the machine, the turn table mechanism being substantially the same as that shownkin Figure 1, andhereinbefore described.

Illhe invention comprises a simple, powerful and reliable driving mechanismv for traction engines or for any other right angle power transmission device that it can be applied to, and while reference has been made to the preferred construction and arrangenient ofthe improved drivingl mechanism,-

there is no intention to be limited to the construction shown and described, as changes may be made without departingffromthe invention. f i A Having descrlbed the invention,` what is claimed as new. and desired to be secured by Letters Patent,'is:

therewith. f

\ l. In a'ltractor, the combination 'ofahori-' zontal shaft carrying on its center portion'a' bevel gear, a verticalv shaft, a bevel gear atits lower endl-in meshwith said 'bevel gear,

avgear mounted near the upperend of the.v

vertical shaft,a shaft carrying a pinion. in Inesh` with. thelgear, avhouslng surrounding the vertical shaft and gear mechanism connected therewith and a housing surrounding the horizontal shaft,` the secondhousing hav-y ing av verticaleportion surrounding apart of the rst housing and having a sliding nt 2. Apparatusy according 'to claim .ly in' which the` housing u surrounding' the verti` cal shaft has ahorizonta'l flange terminating in a bearing` iange which has an angular e2;-

'tentoi substantially 360o, and means ton securing'the bearing iiange to the frame of shaft and its housing.

atfth'e lend of the. verticalfshalt and are'-` movable 'cover below thev horizontal shaft substantially in vertical alignment with the vertical shaft. y 5' 4i In a tractor, the combination of a horizontal shaft, sprocket wheels rigidly con' nected thereto at the opposite ends there.y ci, a bevel gear mounted on the shaft inter` mediate the sprocket wheels, a vert-ical shaft having a bevel gear at its lower end in mesh with said bevel geana 'wormgear mounted near the upper end of the vertical shaft,

a worm pinion in lmesh with the Worm gem., a housing surrounding the, @mmap Sha-ft,

the worm gear and pinionfball.'bearingsi between the vertical sha'lt and its housing,`

a housing surrounding the horizontal shaft and the bevel gears, said second housinguhav# ing an upwardly extending portion sliding over the lowerportion ofthe iirst housing, and -a "ball-'bearing between 5. ipparatusl 'according to "claimk t in which tliekhousing surrounding thehorizon! -tal shaft has portions .forming bearings-rer the said sprocket wheels.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

. `Mns. LINAfM. LEYNER, Admz'm'stmtm' ceased.

the vhorizontal of om George Zeg/ner, cwle- 

